Sweet Folly
by Starshadow
Summary: Set in the Shadow Skill manga universe, since Folli's husband was never ever mentioned or even hinted at in the anime. So I thought I'd try giving him a story. *grin* In this one, Folli comes home to Juliannes with a guilty secret...
1. Chapter 1

Title: Sweet Folly 1

Disclaimers: All characters not mine, but the creations of Megumu Okada. Am just playing fast and loose with them for entertainment purposes only...

Author's Notes: Folli has a secret. And her husband is wondering what it is...

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"Folli, love? What's wrong?"

Folli looked up swiftly at the question, her indigo eyes meeting a gaze of shifting green and blue, like the depths of Kuruda's lake in high summer. It had been the eyes that had drawn her from the first, gentle and full of hidden strength. Eyes that now were filled with such concern for her welfare that her heart contracted with a pang of guilt.

Should she tell him? Free her mind at last from the secret she had been keeping for well over six months? It had been easier when she had been traveling with Elle and the others. They had been busy then, working at keeping Elle away from both trouble and the common fund -- a hard task, given that she was born to be a magnet for all sorts of adventures. An exciting life for young people.

Folli sighed and shifted position, the better to regard the unswerving look directed her way. Yes, it was exciting. But of the five, she was the only one committed heart and soul to another in the bonds of marriage. To someone who loved her as much as life itself, to whom she was the most important person in his life. The one person with whom she felt most safe; whose trust she valued like no other's in all the Kingdoms.

"I can tell him everything," she said to Elle, not so long ago. The memory brought a bitter taste to her mouth, and tears prickled at the back of her eyes. Should she tell him? Already he knew something was wrong -- had probably known the moment she walked into the door of their home. But if she told him, she would lose him...

Waaks Porelo sighed softly in the strained silence that filled the room. Folli's visits were always sudden and rarely expected, but each time she walked through the door, there was a spring in her step and a sparkle in her eyes that brought joy to his heart. Their reunions were occasions of laughter and tenderness, with Folli's love of life responding to his own. She had been so young when they married, so very young...just getting to know one another when her father died so suddenly. Waaks offered to release her from the betrothal contract then -- but Folli would not hear of it.

"I will do this one last thing for my father's sake," she had told him through red-rimmed eyes, when he had come to offer his condolences. "I am a Sui Reme, last of his line, and there must be others to follow in his footsteps."

"Folli...are you sure?"

The eyes that looked back at him were full of certainty, even as the smile that so enchanted him curved her lips upward. "Yes. I love you, Waaks, and I am very, very sure. I promise you -- I will be a good wife."

Over the years that followed, she had been a wonderful wife, albeit an absentee one on occasion. Her pursuit of Elle in her desire for vengance had worried him a great deal; but he trusted in her innate sense of justice and the evidence of her own eyes to guide her in making the right decision. In the end, Luis Frasniel's dastardly machinations had been shown up for the lies that they were, and now Folli and Elle were sisters in spirit and in love, if not in truth. Waaks remembered her homecoming shortly after that -- the wonder and delight animating her face as she told him the whole story.

//Oh, love, what are you hiding?// thought Waaks, wondering what could have happened to weigh down his wife's soul so much. //What could possibly have gone wrong?//

//end part one// 


	2. Chapter 2

Title : Sweet Folly 2

Disclaimers : All characters not mine, but the creations of Megumu Okada. Am just playing fast and loose with them for entertainment purposes only...

Author's Notes : Folli decides to confess...

=-=-=-=-=-=

Waaks sighed again and placed one hand over those of his wife, which were loosely joined in her lap. Her eyes dropped from his clear, questioning gaze as he began to speak.

"Whatever it is, love, you can tell me," he coaxed, as though talking to a skittish horse. "Remember? Im the one who knows all your secrets, right?"

A soft sound escaped Folli, and Waaks felt the splash of tears on the back of his hand. Gently, he placed his other arm around Follis shoulders and drew her towards him, tucking her head beneath his chin. He felt his wife stiffen at first, then relax with another small sound, her arms winding about him.

"It's all right, love," he soothed, tilting up her face in order to kiss the tears away. "Surely it cant be that bad."

"Oh, Waaks, I dont know..." she said, voice trembling. "It was an accident, I didnt mean to...to..."

"An accident?" Waaks tilted his head, and shifted his position on the couch so that he could stretch out his legs on the soft cushions. Folli followed his lead, fitting her soft curves to his body, and sighed as Waaks began to slowly stroke her arm.

"Now, my dearest, maybe it would be wisest if you began this story from the very beginning... "

"It happened six months ago, in Kuruda," she began, so softly that Waaks had to strain to hear the words. "Elle had gotten into the household money..."

=-=-=-=

_Baka!_ Indigo eyes flashed fire as Folli rummaged through the secret drawer where the household money was normally kept. Elle's propensity to drink through any spare funds had taught Folli the necessity of finding ever more creative ways of concealing their joint earnings. The secret drawer, hidden behind Folli's clothes, was the latest in such efforts, and the longest-running in terms of success.

However, it was obvious that today, the lucky streak was at an end. Folli had gone up to her room to add her tips from the Green Octopus to their little cache, only to find her clothes rifled and the secret drawer no longer a secret, for it was empty of every single piece of coin that Folli, Kyou, Gau and Elle herself had earned from their most recent adventures.

"Aaaah, Elle no bakaaa!" she cried in angry frustration. "When I get my hands on you...!!"

The lithe Sui Reme stormed down the stairs of the Green Octopus with murder or something close to it burning in her eyes of midnight blue. As she burst into the common room, Gau and Kyou looked up at their chores and paled visibly at Folli's facial expression.

"Ne, Folli-san..." began Gau nervously, as he watched the Sui Remes eyes sweep the room. "Calm down..."

"She's done it again, Gau!" cried Folli, and the young man sweatdropped, a veteran of many such scenes. "She's gone and taken our money Souma knows where, no doubt to drink it all!"

"Oh, no," said Kyou weakly, thinking of the weeks of work she had put in for the silver pieces she had recently added to their living expenses. "Not...not all of it?"

"All of it," affirmed Folli, waving her arms in a gesture of futile argument. "Every last piece of coin weve made in the past two months -- all gone!"

"What will we do now?"

"What we've always done, Kyou," sighed Folli. "Work and think up new ways to hide the money. But first, I've got to find Elle. Souma knows what sort of mischief she'll get into if she's drinking with the wrong sort of people."

"I'll go with you," offered Gau. "I know all her usual stops."

"No, Feorina can manage to do without one of us, but not two," said Folli. "I can manage well enough on my own."

Feorina accepted Folli's embarrassed apologies with a smile, no stranger to Elle's sudden disappearances and the Sui Reme's forays to retrieve her wayward comrade.

"It will be all right, Folli-san," she said cheerfully, nodding toward the half-empty common room. "Business is slow today. Gau and Kyou will be more than enough to handle the chores. Good luck!"

//end part two//


	3. Chapter 3

Title : Sweet Folly 3

Disclaimers : All characters not mine, but the creations of Megumu Okada. Am just playing fast and loose with them for entertainment purposes only...

Author's Notes : Folli remembers the past...

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Anger burned white-hot in Folli, fueling her steps as she sped out of the inn, down to the landing where the Green Octopus skiffs were moored. Folli chose the lightest craft available, untying the knots with capable fingers, even in her haste methodical and sure of her movements.

The effort of rowing cooled down the knife edge of her anger somewhat; one could not concentrate overlong on the sins of another while pulling at the oars. By the time Folli berthed at Kuruda pier, she had simmered down to a state of intense exasperation.

"Oh, Elle, Elle!" she thought, absently answering the greetings called out from the market vendors lining Kurudas main avenue. "Why must you always do this to us?"

Despite herself, Folli felt tears of frustration well up behind her marvelous indigo eyes. Waaks had named them the exact shade of Tarpa indigo, lighted with amethyst -- and the memory of the duel in the ice-bound town brought the tears closer to the surface. It was there that Folli had forced herself to fight Elle in a duel of revenge that honor demanded. As a Sui Reme whose master had been killed, Folli had changed her name from that of Fear Arcana, spellcaster assassin, and gone after her master's killer with unswerving purpose.

Her master's killer. Her...father's killer. Folli blinked harder as she went through inn after inn, still finding no sign of Elle. So different from the days when she had shadowed the young sevalle, unable to reconcile how her father's alleged killer could rescue an enemy about to die. Over the days, despite herself, Folli had grown to care for the young woman who loved life, enjoyed its simple pleasures with gusto, took in and cared for strays with a tender heart hidden beneath a bluff exterior.

"Ohhh, Elle," sighed Folli wearily as she exited yet another wine shop. "Where are you?"

The duel at Tarpa had been more than a death match. At Tarpa, doubts and faith, love and lies had presented themselves for inspection; revealing a deception so cruel that even now Folli shivered at how close she had come to losing her best friend. The two young women had become even closer after that, their friendship cemented by how nearly they had lost it. Over time, in spite of Elle's incredible ability to attract trouble and debt, they had stood by each other, guarded one another, soothed each other's hurts and celebrated their joys together.

Naturally it was Folli, raised in the rule-bound atmosphere of the Holy City Juliannes, who quickly assumed the role of responsible elder sister. Elle had lived the life of a free spirit since she had left home to seek her fortune in Kuruda, and responsibility of any sort was like putting a bridle on a wild horse. It was inevitable that two such different characters would clash on occasion -- sometimes with detrimental results to the neighborhood at large.

After working her way through all of Elle's regular wineshops and merchants without success, irritation began to overtake nostalgia. The sun was growing hot, and the thought of the wasted hours returned fire to Follis gaze.

Suddenly a pleasant voice from over her head called out, "Follinkmeyer Brazmetizer! What brings you to town looking so out of sorts?"

//end of part three//


	4. Chapter 4

Title : Sweet Folly 4

Disclaimers : All characters not mine, but the creations of Megumu Okada. Am just playing fast and loose with them for entertainment purposes only...

Author's Notes : Folli gets unexpected help...

=-=-=-=-=-=

Folli halted abruptly and looked toward the source of the voice. In her wanderings, she had come off the main avenue into a quiet residential district. Her lovely eyes widened in shock as she realized whom she was seeing, framed in the window above her. Dark brown hair with copper highlights, and eyes of emerald that echoed those of Elle, sparkling with pleasure behind his glasses.

"Dias!" she cried, and the Black Wing, Dias Ragu, waved and grinned down at the lovely Sui Reme.

"Wait a moment, and I'll get the door," he called out, and Folli moved towards the front step. The door swung open to reveal the tall figure of the young valle, a warm smile of welcome lighting up his normally serious features. "Won't you come in, Folli-san? You seem rather upset."

"Thank you, but no, Dias," said Folli regretfully, for the house looked cool and inviting as the noon hour approached. "I'm looking for Elle..."

"Elle? Why, what's happened?" Dias eyes instantly took on the watchful expression of protectiveness for the younger sister he adored. Folli told him the story, frustration growing more evident in her voice with every word.

"Two months of work, Dias!" she concluded, thinking of the new dress that she had wanted to buy for her next visit home. "If it had been only a little -- but **all** our money! And...and I c-can't find her..."

Then to her complete and utter mortification, Follinkmeyer Brazmetizer, once called Fear Arcana, mistress of spellcards and the art of assassination; who had faced monsters and dangers and who would have killed her best friend without flinching, burst into hysterical tears.

"Hush now, it's all right," soothed Dias, drawing Folli into his arms so she could cry into his shoulder. Pulling her gently into the open doorway, he murmured, "That's it. Let go..."

Folli sobbed with a total lack of control that both frightened and relieved her. Souma, but it was good not to be the strong one for a change! Dias arms were those of the brother she never had, holding her with the same care as he did Elle. Soft, soothing words floated past her ear, and after the storm passed, she peeped guiltily up at the valle to find sympathy in the emerald eyes.

"I'm so sorry! I don't know why I should go all to pieces like that," sniffed Folli, shamefacedly. "It's not like Elle hasn't done this before."

"All the more reason to indulge in a good cry," came the quiet answer, laced with a smile.

"Ummm. Well, I've imposed on your kindness long enough, Dias-san. I really must keep on looking for her," sighed Folli, easing herself out of Dias hold. The valle's strong arms dropped immediately, leaving the Sui Reme with a curious sense of loss. "Would you know where she could be? I've searched every inn and wine shop in Kuruda, it seems..."

"There's a place where she might be," answered Dias, after a moment's thought. "But its a long walk out of town. Come, we'll go together."

//end part four//


	5. Chapter 5

Title : Sweet Folly 5

Disclaimers : All characters not mine, but the creations of Megumu Okada. Am just playing fast and loose with them for entertainment purposes only...

Author's Notes : Folli makes a startling discovery about herself...

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Folli sighed softly. She and Dias were at the foothills of the mountain range overlooking the proud city of Kuruda, and heading upward. The sun beat down on them out of a clear blue sky, and Folli wiped an errant sweatdrop from off the tip of her nose. Now that she was no longer alone in her search, the tension and anger had dissolved, leaving in their place a bone-crushing weariness. To top it all, Folli was hungry -- she had fled the Green Octopus without so much as a bite to eat.

"Are you all right, Folli-san?" asked Dias, looking down at Folli. He smiled encouragingly. "It's not much farther."

"I'm fine, Dias-san," she answered, a little smile crossing her face and turning up the corners of her mouth. "I hope we find Elle here, though. I'm tired. . ."

"Hungry too, no doubt," he chuckled.

"That too. . .oh, dear!"

Folli's stomach had chosen that particular moment to make its presence known, rumbling in a distinctly unladylike manner. With a high color in her face that had nothing to do with her exposure to the sun, she turned indigo eyes up at Dias, to find him valiantly attempting to suppress his amusement. Suddenly, the humor of the situation hit her, and she giggled, a pleasant little sound that set off Dias' own rich chuckles.

"I'll pretend I didn't hear that," he grinned, emerald eyes dancing.

Her heart lurched, and suddenly Folli understood how it was that the Black Wing could be so fiercely loved by those who held him dear. Scenes from the past played on the canvas of her mind as they walked along -- Elle's hovering over Dias during their journey from Prorathan to Kuruda; Shavra's cry of joy as she threw herself into the valle's arms before the entire Kuruda Court; the meaningful looks exchanged between the young valle and Crimson Kai Sink, which spoke of past intimacies and bonds sunk deeply into each others souls.

She knew how his fierce love for Elle had driven him from home. On their journey back from Prorathan, the quiet pride Dias took in his sister's achievements spoke more clearly than words of how there were no regrets about the sacrifice of his sevalle ambitions. Before the King and the entire Court, he had held the Lady Holder in a fierce embrace that reminded all those present of promises made and kept, even in the face of danger. While Elle and Shavra were open in their adoration of the Black Wing, it was obvious enough to Folli - knowing what it was like to love and be loved - that Crimson's own feelings, while well-concealed, were no less intense.

As for herself. . .Folli felt her cheeks burning, but forced herself to face the truth of her own heart. That brief moment in Dias arms, the sense of loss she felt at having to leave them -- for the first time in her young life, she was attracted to another man as strongly as she was to her husband. And whereas Waaks Porelo was in faraway Juliannes, Dias was present beside her...

Jolted by the realization, Folli gasped, causing Dias to look down at her in some concern.

"Are you sure you're all right, Folli-san? Perhaps we should stop for a moment?"

"No, no, I'm perfectly fine," came the hurried answer, as the pretty Sui Reme arranged her facial expression to suit the words.

Dias shot a keen look which Folli returned with all the blandness that years of undercover work had taught her to assume. The smile that crossed Dias face lit up his handsome features, and he held out his hand.

"Come, I'll give you hand up," he said, nodding towards the steepening trail before them.

Folli regarded the trail, and then Dias hand dubiously. Then, with a sudden mental shake of her head, she placed her hand firmly in the valle's. His strong fingers, calloused from working so long with his black wings, closed about her delicate ones in a firm grip. The grip of a man you could count on in emergencies, thought Folli, as they moved up the last few feet of trail. The path ended on a little plateau ringed by majestic trees, overlooking a view of Kuruda City that took one's breath away.

Had Folli only known, her little moment of self-discovery was just the beginning of her problems...

//end part five//


	6. Chapter 6

Title : Sweet Folly 6

Disclaimers : All characters not mine, but the creations of Megumu Okada. Am just playing fast and loose with them for entertainment purposes only...

Author's Notes : Elle enters the picture. . .and the worst is yet to come. . .

=-=-=-=-=-=

Dias and Folli moved into the welcome shade of the trees. The cool mountain breeze was a welcome relief after their long walk in the sun; valle and Sui Reme took a few moments to catch their breath in the shade of an oak tree that looked as though it owned the entire plateau. Folli moved forward to the edge of the little clearing, and watching her, Dias smiled to himself.

He had heard of the young Sui Reme from Elle, off and on through the years; also from Crimson, who was a firm friend of Folli's husband Waaks Porelo. He had seen her in action on the night Gau Ban had earned his fighting name of Black Howling, and recognized in her a fighting ability to chill the blood out of any malicious mischief-maker. He had heard the story of how she and Elle had become hand-fasted sisters, and was more than grateful that his rambunctious sister had fallen in with the calm, level-headed Sui Reme. Dias had always felt that Elle's constant association with men needed to be balanced with the company of women. But to find women equal to the task of keeping up with his baby sister was a well-nigh impossible task.

In Folli, however, Dias quickly saw that his one remaining wish for Elle had been answered. The Sui Reme had managed to smooth over some of the rougher aspects of Elle's personality; and her deep affection for the young sevalle did not prevent her from applying the stern measures that Dias himself would never have dared to try. Strangely enough, despite the occasional outbursts of violent feeling, the two women always managed to resume their friendship on an even stronger footing.

A soft cry of dismay brought Dias thoughts winging swiftly back to the present, in time to see Folli hurrying toward a familiar red-headed figure seated under a spreading tree at the plateau's edge. With a soft sigh, he moved forward. Folli was kneeling by Elle, who was surrounded by four jugs of wine, at least two of which were already drained, and the third half-empty by the look of it. Her lovely eyes of jade were dulled by the alcohol she had imbibed, and a befuddled smile spread across her face as she met the indigo ones of her best friend.

"Ne. . .Folli-chan. . ."

"Oh, Elle!" exclaimed Folli softly, not a trace of anger in her voice, her eyes filled with an exasperated expression that reminded Dias very much of his own mother's face when Elle had come home from one of her adventures. "Elle. . .I was so _worried!_"

"Anou. . .I jesh wanted a li'l drink. . ."

Folli looked up at Dias, biting her lower lip. The valle scanned the ground around his sister, and then nodded towards a limp money-bag.

"There's the money," he whispered, drawing Elles attention.

"Aniki! So good. . .to see you. . ."

"_Daijoubo desu ka, imouto?_ Are you sure you're all right?"

"_HAI!!_ Here. . .have a drink. . ."

"No, not right now," smiled Dias, as Folli reached for the money bag and weighed it tentatively in her palm before looking inside it. Relief stole across the Sui Reme's features as she noticed that the bag was a little more than half-full with assorted coins. Much better than nothing at all.

"Elle. . ._really._ Why did you have to take the whole bag?" sighed Folli, although her voice now held the merest thread of amusement. Elle, when quietly drunk, wore a defenseless aura that never failed to soften Folli's heart; no matter how angry the Sui Reme was, her resolutions to give Elle a good talking-to would melt at the sight of the younger girl's happy smile. "I should be angry with you."

"Ne, Folli-chan. . .dont be. . .just wanted a li'l drink. . .you're always so stingy. . ."

"Well, I never!" came the outraged exclamation, accompanied by a deep chuckle from Dias. Elle nodded, pointing to her brother.

"Aniki's here. Hell take care of it. . .I have the best brother in the world. . ."

"I know," smiled Folli at Elle, then at Dias. Folli smoothed down the fiery fall of red hair that had managed to work itself out of its braiding, pushing it back behind Elle's ears. "He helped me find you. Come on, Elle-chan. Let's go home."

Elle pushed her lower lip out in a stubborn pout. "Don't want to."

"Elle. . ." interposed Dias, in the firm and gentle voice that had normally won Elle's obedience when they were children together. "Folli-san and I haven't eaten yet. Let's go and have lunch."

"Awww, aniki. . .not yet. . ."

"Elle-chan, it's not nice to keep people waiting for a meal."

"Come on, Elle, up you go. . ." coaxed Folli, taking hold of Elle's wrist. The Sui Reme rose to her feet and gave the sevalle's unresponsive arm a tug. "Please. . ."

=-=-=-=

"Dias was so very kind that day. I didn't think I could be saw drawn to another man..."

Folli's voice faded away to silence. Waaks pressed a kiss into her shining dark hair, and gave her a reassuring squeeze.

"So far, I haven't seen anything for you to feel guilty about, love," he murmured, hiding a tender smile in her hair. "As far as I recall, Dias Ragu is a very handsome man. As you are neither blind nor a man-hater, I would have been more surprised to hear you say you _weren't_ attracted to him."

Folli shook her head slowly, snuggling even closer to her husband, as if to imprint his comfortable warmth and bulk on her mind forever.

"You havent heard the worst part, Waaks. . ."

//end part six//


	7. Chapter 7

Title : Sweet Folly 7

Disclaimers : All characters not mine, but the creations of Megumu Okada. Am just playing fast and loose with them for entertainment purposes only...

Author's Notes : Whoops! ^_^ 'Nuff said...

=-=-=-=-=-=

Elle stubbornly refused to rise, her muscled body a dead weight. Folli sighed, and tried again.

"It's getting late, Elle-chan, and I'm hungry..." she said, using the coaxing tone that would have wrung obedience out of a stone statue. "It's a long walk back to Dias-san's apartment, too."

The young sevalle mumbled something as Folli continued to gently tug on her arm. Suddenly, as if coming to a decision, Elle rose to her feet in a fluid motion, throwing the Sui Reme off-balance. Before Folli could recover her footing, she found herself pulled forward slightly, then thrown backwards as Elle threw up her arms for a long, cat-like stretch.

Caught by surprise, Folli released her grip on the young sevalle's arm and stumbled backwards with a small cry. Pebbles shot out from beneath her feet as the loose soil gave way beneath her, and in the certain knowledge that she was headed for a hard fall, Folli began to twist her body so that she could land with hands outstretched.

However, she had not reckoned on crashing into Dias, who had moved forward with the intention of helping his sister to her unsteady feet. Folli heard the soft grunt as the Black Wing's body absorbed the impact -- felt him lose his balance even as his arms circled her waist to steady her -- shut her eyes as their feet tangled and the momentum of her fall brought them both down.

Dias somehow managed to land on his back beneath Folli, wincing as he found himself sandwiched between the ground and her weight. His arms had tightened instinctively around her, and he was all too aware of the slender form pressed against him from chest to hip. Sighting downwards, his emerald eyes locked into Folli's midnight blue gaze, the latter filled with shock and more than a tinge of embarrassment.

_"Daijobou, Folli-san?" _he asked softly, and saw her face turn bright red. "Are you hurt?"

"_Anou_...no," came the breathless reply, as Folli tried to pull hastily away from her compromising position above Dias. "I..."

The rest of the sentence would forever be left unsaid, however, as, in her hurried effort to push herself up from Dias, Folli's hands slipped from off his chest, sending her crashing back down on top of him. What little breath she had gathered in her lungs caught in her throat her mouth came down over the Black Wings...

//end part seven//


	8. Chapter 8

Title : Sweet Folly 8

Disclaimers : All characters not mine, but the creations of Megumu Okada. Am just playing fast and loose with them for entertainment purposes only...

Author's Notes : Aftermaths

Dias' eyes widened at the touch of the soft lips on his own; desire sparked white-hot, drowning out the voices of logic and discipline as he pinioned Folli securely in his arms while deepening the contact into a full-blown kiss. At her small sound of helpless pleasure, Dias mouth gently coaxed hers open, in order to taste deeply of the honeyed sweetness within.

Folli hummed low in her throat as she felt her body turn traitor at the mastery of the Black Wing's kiss. Until that moment, she had never been kissed by anyone other than her husband, nor had she wanted to find out what it would be like. It shocked her more than a little to discover the delights of another man's mouth moving over hers, in a kiss that set her nerve endings crackling with raw desire.

Eventually, the need for air made it imperative for them to break apart; which they did with dazed looks and pounding hearts. Dias belatedly remembered the existence of his sister, and a swift glance in her direction brought a half-relieved smile to his face. Apparently Elle, after having shaken off Folli, had collapsed back onto the ground, and this time she was blissfully unconscious, the alcohol finally having caught up with her.

Bringing his emerald eyes back to the Sui Reme he still held loosely in his arms, it was to find Folli looking at him with a strange expression.

"_Daijoubo desu ka, Folli-san?"_ he asked quietly, making her blink. The lovely face suffused with color, as she brought her fingertips to her lips in a gesture of wonderment.

"I...I've never..." she stammered, at a loss for words. "Dias-san..."

"_Gomen ne, Folli-san,"_ said the Black Wing, letting his arms drop from Folli's side and edging away slightly to give her some space. Watching her carefully, Dias saw the expressions that chased across her features -- uncertainty, embarrassment, guilt.

"Folli-san."

Dias' quiet voice broke into Follis tumbling thoughts, drawing her wide blue eyes to his. In their emerald depths she read reassurance and sincerity as he sought to calm her anxiety.

"It was an accident, Folli-san," he said, "Something that wasn't meant to happen, but did. You need not blame yourself, for the fault, if any, is mine. You are the heart's delight of my friend Waaks Porelo, his cherished and much-loved wife..."

The mention of her husband's name brought a stricken look to Folli's sweet features. What had she just done? Taken pleasure in the arms of a man not her husband; had she not committed a betrayal of his trust?

"I don't understand," said Folli, her voice plaintive and a little frightened. "I love my husband - and yet your kiss sets fire to my blood. Have I played him false, to have enjoyed it so?"

"What does your heart tell you, Folli-san?"

"I am afraid to trust what it says."

"If things were different - if you were, at this moment, not bound by your marriage vows - whom would you choose? It is as simple as that."

Dias leaned back on his hands with a half-smile on his face, certain of Folli's answer. Once, long ago, he had been granted a glimpse into the love that existed between the young Sui Reme and her husband. Short as it had been, it was enough to tell him that theirs was a love to last a lifetime, and more.

For her part, Folli kept silent, considering Dias question. Her indigo eyes regarded the Black Wing carefully, weighing his present company against the vision of her absent husband. Waaks - the man who knew her heart as no other; who stood full-face before the power of her assassin's spellcard without fear or flinching; who had taught her the delights of the marriage bed with gentle passion; who waited three years for the fires of her vengeance against Elle to burn away. Who even now, waited trustingly at home for her next return.

As for Dias. . .suddenly, the pieces clicked into place, and a weight slid from her shoulders. There would be no denial of his obvious good looks and physical attraction. Dias Ragu was strong, dependable, a man one could trust to guard your back - or your heart. Folli treasured the friendship and respect he freely gave, realizing that he had spoken truly in advising her to listen to her heart.

"Well, dear Folli-san? Having listened to your heart, do you trust what it has told you, and what it has long known to be true?"

Dias chuckled at seeing the corners of Folli's mouth turn upwards in a smile. The look in the magnificent indigo eyes was filled with the same certainty with which she had promised Waaks that she would be his bride, and a good wife. She smiled back at him and nodded.

"Indeed I do, Black Wing Dias Ragu," she answered, radiantly confident of her feelings. "With or without my vows, my heart and soul find their home with only one man -- he who is named Raze Reme of Juliannes, Waaks Porelo. My heart seeks no other, nor ever will."

"Even as my own heart and soul, dear Sui Reme, have found their home in another," said Dias softly, his eyes glowing greenly, making Follis smile widen into a mischievous grin. She was well aware of whom Dias spoke, but tactfully refrained from naming. Catching the laughter in Follis eyes, a faint trace of color highlighted beneath the Black Wings fine cheekbones, adding greatly to his good looks.

"Come on," he said cheerfully, getting to his feet and extending a hand to Folli to help her up. "There is still the matter of lunch and settling my sister to be attended to, Folli-san."

//end part eight//


	9. Chapter 9

Title : Sweet Folly 9 - conclusion

Disclaimers : All characters not mine, but the creations of Megumu Okada. Am just playing fast and loose with them for entertainment purposes only...

Author's Notes : In which a husband reminds his wife how much he *does* love her...

=-=-=-=-=-=

Folli giggled and gripped the arm Dias offered, allowing him to pull her to her feet. The sudden move from sitting to standing overbalanced the Sui Reme, and Dias steadied her with both hands, his emerald eyes laughing down at her. For a long moment, time hung suspended as they exchanged a long look, but then a sudden snore from Elle broke the tension, and with rueful chuckles, the pair set out to complete the mission that had brought them to the sunlit plateau in the first place.

=-=-=

"What happened next, Folli?"

Waaks felt himself being given a firm squeeze as Folli shifted position within his arms. He was finding it difficult to keep a straight face, and therefore rested his head on top of her shining hair, the better to hide his expression. If ever he needed proof that Folli took her marriage vows with utmost seriousness, then here it was. Not that her love for him was ever in question, of course. But Waaks knew that he had to reassure his wife that nothing could ever separate his heart from hers, or else face the prospect of a guilt-ridden Folli exiling herself from his presence completely. Something he would move heaven and earth to prevent from happening -- Folli was the love of his life, and nothing would ever change that.

"Well, my darling?" he coaxed softly, pressing a kiss into the shining head. "Did you ever get Elle back down that hill?"

"Yes, eventually we did," nodded Folli, her eyes staring unseeingly at view of the Juliannes beyond her balcony railings. "Dias-san and I managed to walk her down without getting our necks broken. A passing farmer was kind enough to let us ride his haycart into the city, and we made it to Dias' apartment without further incident."

"I trust the Black Wing offered you lunch, my dear. And that you had the good grace to accept."

Folli turned wondering indigo eyes up to her husband, and for the first time, saw the expression of tender amusement that he was valiantly trying to suppress.

"Waaks. . ."

"Yes, my dearest?"

"Were you listening to me at all?"

"Of course, my love. I'm not deaf."

"I've just told you I kissed another man. That I enjoyed the embrace of one not my husband."

"So you did."

"It. . .it doesn't bother you?"

In answer to her question, Folli received a soft laugh, making her sit up in confusion, her indigo eyes stunned. Waaks put a hand to her face, his thumb stroking her cheek, his blue-green eyes sparkling.

"Only if you can tell me without flinching that you now wish to offer your heart to Dias Ragu," he said, suddenly growing serious. "Do you?"

"No!" cried Folli, diving into the warmth of Waaks' arms with a little sob. "I don't want any other man. Only you, Waaks, no matter how far I go with Elle and the rest; you are my heart's other half. Without you. . ."

Waaks soothed the shudder that racked Follis slender frame, and his gentle voice was warm against her ear as he whispered, "Sweet, sweet Folli -- your secrecy had me worried; I couldn't think of anything you would want to hide from me. I was scaring myself imagining all sorts of things that might have happened to you."

"Yet you never asked, never said a word until today." Folli turned wondering eyes up to her husband's face, and lost herself in the tender fire of that sea-green gaze.

"I was so sure you would tell me of your own will. But when I could feel you slipping away from me, dearest heart, I thought the time had come to force the issue." Waaks pushed back a fall of shining dark hair from Follis face, tucking it behind her ear. "It turns out I've been scaring myself over nothing, after all."

A blush pearled over Follis cheeks at the sparkle of amusement that lit up her husband's face. "I was afraid of hurting you, that somehow I would lose your love if you knew."

Waaks looked long and hard into his wife's lovely face, sea-green eyes darkening with feeling. When at last he spoke, it was with the firm authority of a Raze Reme sure of his power, and his own heart.

"That you would hurt me by choosing another, heart's love, of that there would be no doubt. Especially after all the joy that you have brought me. But know this, Follinkmeyer Brazmetizer, once named Fear Arcana; such is the love I bear for you that were you to leave me now, I would set that love about you as a shield against all that is dark and dangerous in the world."

With that, Waaks brought his head down to Follis, capturing her mouth in a kiss that seared a path of light down into her soul, casting out all doubts and questions. Folli answered with a fervor to gratify any husband, and no more was said that day of the sweet folly that in the end, only served to renew with greater fire a love destined to become legend throughout the Holy Kingdoms.

//owari//


End file.
